Crackergate!

Wow, those Muslims are really overreacting to a simple cartoo-- hey, did someone just kidnap a magic biscuit?!

Remember that big commotion awhile back about the Danish cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed, and how most normal people saw the reaction from the more extreme corners of the Muslim community and shook their heads, wondering what hope there was for the human race?

Turns out that Catholic crazy can go toe to toe with Islamic crazy without breaking a sweat.

Some of you may have already heard about this by now, but I figured I would add to the pointing and laughing (alternating with banging my head against the wall).  It seems a student at the University of Central Florida attended a Catholic service and, instead of ingesting his blessed Jeez-It, took the magic wafer home with him.  This drew a lot of Christian love and compassion seething bile, calls for expulsion, and even a few death threats.

The story was picked up by an appropriately astonished PZ Myers, which attracted the ire of the already apoplectic head of the “Catholic League”, Bill Donahue.  Now Bill-Do is mounting a campaign to get Dr. Myers disciplined or even removed from his position at the University of Minnesota.

All over a GODDAMN CRACKER.

Just a quick reminder folks…this is the 21st Century.  This stuff is happening in the United States of America.  I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry.

If you’d like to send a letter to U of M President Robert Bruininks in support of Dr. Myers, PZ has posted his address.

And Yet, Larry the Cable Guy Still Breathes

I bet he’s down there right now, screaming up at us.

What Establishment Clause?

Here’s my contribution to today’s so-called National Day of Prayer (via someone called “ChocolateJesus”).

If you’d rather respond in a less juvenile manner, the National Day of Reason organizers have some suggestions.  See if they have any events in your area (if it isn’t too late – I’m kind of a lazy blogger).

With Apologies to Freddie Mercury

Any of my readers (what readers?) who are still following the Expelled debacle should get a kick out of this parody song courtesy of MartinC.

“Should have stuck to game shows” indeed.

Unrest in the Land of Lincoln

Outside the atheist community, this story hasn’t had much media attention.  This account gives the basics – last week a Democratic Representative from Illinois had a rather vitriolic reaction to an atheist activist who was testifying at a hearing regarding the donation of government money to a Baptist church.  Rep. Monique Davis told the man he had “no right” to be there, and that it was “dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!”

(She also referred to Illinois as “the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God”.  In fact, President Lincoln’s religious views were ambiguous at best, and more than a few statements of his lean decidedly away from theism.)

Well, the story finally got some national media attention tonight, being featured atop Keith Olbermann’s nightly “Worst Persons in the World” list on MSNBC’s Countdown.  See the video at onegoodmove.

Contact info for Rep. Davis is here if you’d like to send a measured response to her hate-filled tirade.

Word.

Well, this is kinda awesome.

This was first brought to my attention on Pharyngula, but it’s everywhere now. Go there to follow the debate on whether it’s pro-science or a failed bit of meta-satire from the Expelled promoters.

Wanted: One Irony Meter

Mine has exploded.

So there’s this movie coming out next month called Expelled, fronted by actor/economist/speech writer/game show host/eye medication shill Ben Stein. It claims to document the systematic censorship by “Big Science” (seriously, they use that phrase) of people courageous enough to question the “dogma” of evolutionary theory. Of course, the whole thing is just a creationist propaganda piece, but the filmmakers are trying to set their side up as martyrs concerned with academic freedom.

So, if your premise is that scientists are conspiring to keep opposing viewpoints out of the classroom, what do you think would be the most retarded possible PR move to make? Apparently, the producers have chosen the hypocrite route. Well known atheist/developmental biologist blogger PZ Myers – who was actually interviewed for the film (under false pretenses) and appears in it – attempted to attend a screening last night and was refused entry.

But that’s only half of the ironic part. Go read his post to see who did get in to the screening.

And the winner is…

…me!  Yes, despite missing a full 1/3 of the categories, I won my workplace Oscar pool.  Huzzah!

This goes nicely with the Atonement soundtrack that I won for answering a trivia question at the AMC Best Picture showcase on Saturday.  I guess being a total movie geek does pay off sometimes, eh?

There Will Be Oscars, Part Deux

And now, the technical awards, i.e. the ones no one but me cares about.  (Where are the shorts categories, you ask?  Even I don’t care about them.)

This will take forever if I do them all the same way as the main categories, so I’ll only include commentary for some of them.

Here we go…

There Will Be Oscars

Yeah, I know I’m the 400th person to use that headline. Sorry.

I meant to do my Oscar post the day of the nominations, but then the Heath Ledger news hit and I wasn’t really in the mood. Then I kind of forgot about it, had other things to do, etc.

But now, with the show less than 10 hours away, I’m finally ready to foist my thoughts on the world. So herewith, my predictions, wishes, and other pre-show comments for the 80th Academy Awards.